A Ford City High School graduate has earned a National Science Foundation scholarship at La Roche College in Pittsburgh for the second consecutive year.
Miranda Lasher, a sophomore studying mathematics, has also been accepted again into the college’s CheM Scholar Program.
In an interview last year with the Kittanning Paper, Lasher said the scholarship was one of her deciding factors to attend the private college.
In addition to the $3,500 National Science Foundation scholarship, Miranda also received a $15,000 merit scholarship, nearly $10,000 in local scholarships and $700 toward book reimbursement as part of the La Roche Honors Institute as a freshman. All award totals are split between the fall and spring semesters.
Miranda is a scholar athlete as well, participating in La Roche’s Division III women’s tennis team.
Last year, Lasher said she hopes to graduate with her Bachelor’s Degree in mathematics before attending the University of Pittsburgh for her Master’s Degree in education.
The CheM program, which was developed in 2014 after La Roche received a $607,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, provides scholarships of up to $10,000 annually to academically-talented undergraduates who demonstrate financial need.
Lasher is one of 21 La Roche students who entered the CheM Scholar Program. Freeport graduate Isabella Wallance was also one of those students selected.
“Our NSF scholarship recipients certainly excelled in mathematics and chemistry in high school, but these students not only demonstrated promise of excelling in their chosen majors – they also had diversified, well-rounded interests,” Chemistry Department Chair Dr. Don Fujito said in a news release.
CheM Scholars have the opportunity to design novel, hands-on learning kits through La Roche’s ChemSOLVE (Chemistry Student-Operated Laboratory Venture) and receive one-on-one mentoring by award-winning faculty, alumni and professionals in the field. The scholarship recipients also benefit from peer-led team leading.